About 9 in 10 UK mobile phone owners do not consider changing their mobile network operator, a new study reveals.
According to YouGov’s ‘Mobile Phones: The Purchase Path’ report, 67% of the survey respondents had stuck to the same operator for three years or more.
44% of the respondents planned to maintain the same operator even after the completion of their contract, while 45% of them were not aware of what provider to go with during their next deal.
Out of the total surveyed, about one fifth of men in the age group of 25-39 planned to switch their operators, while 58% of women aged above 55 considered staying with their existing provider.
YouGov SixthSense research manager Tom Rees said that with new ‘must-have” handsets released every few months, the mobile market always seems to be in a state of flux.
"However, this report shows that whatever happens within the sector, consumers themselves are pretty steady and loyal to their networks," Rees said.
"The major reason operators manage to lure customers is to save costs.
"Unless a provider can offer consumers worthwhile monetary incentives to move between networks, it is unlikely to attract significant numbers of switchers."
About 11% of survey respondents considered switching operator soon after their contract expires, while men are reportedly more probable to switch provider, the study outlines.
